The Meaning of 2 Samuel 10:18 Explained

2 Samuel 10:18

KJV: And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

YLT: and Aram fleeth from the presence of Israel, and David slayeth of Aram seven hundred charioteers, and forty thousand horsemen, and Shobach head of its host he hath smitten, and he dieth there.

Darby: And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven hundred in chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

ASV: And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of'seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the Syrians  fled  before  Israel;  and David  slew  [the men of] seven  hundred  chariots  of the Syrians,  and forty  thousand  horsemen,  and smote  Shobach  the captain  of their host,  who died  there. 

What does 2 Samuel 10:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 10:1-19 - The Penalty Of Rejecting Kindness
A Jewish tradition tells us that Nahash, Hanun's father, had shown kindness to David by sheltering one of his brothers, when the king of Moab treacherously massacred the rest of the family. Civility is the daughter of Piety. The son had inherited his father's throne but not his spirit. He was misled by foolish advisers to offer a gross insult, not only to the ambassadors, but to the king and nation whom they represented.
Let us, however, contrast our Lord's dealings with those who ill-treated Him in the person of His disciples. When they had been refused by a certain village of the Samaritans, they appealed for fire from heaven; but Jesus reminded them that the dispensation in which Elijah had lived was past. The disciples were the children of a new age, and the only fire with which they could deal was that of love, Luke 9:54, etc. Yes, and afterward the baptism of the Holy Spirit was given to Samaria, perhaps to those very villages, Acts 8:1-40. It used to be said that the best way to secure the tenderest kindness of the great and saintly Archbishop Leighton was to show him a discourtesy. He had not followed his great Master in vain. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 10

1  David's messengers, sent to comfort Hanun are villainously treated
6  The Ammonites, strengthened by the Syrians, overcome by Joab and Abishai
15  Shobuch, making a new supply of the Syrains at Helam, is slain by David

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 10:18 mean?

And fled Syria before Israel and killed David of Syria seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen and Shobach the commander of their army struck and who died there
וַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֮ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜ד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שְׁבַ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֨ת שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ שַׂר־ צְבָא֛וֹ הִכָּ֖ה וַיָּ֥מָת שָֽׁם

וַיָּ֣נָס  And  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
אֲרָם֮  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
מִפְּנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג  and  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
דָּוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מֵאֲרָ֗ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
שְׁבַ֤ע  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
מֵאוֹת֙  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
רֶ֔כֶב  charioteers 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים  and  forty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
אֶ֖לֶף  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
פָּרָשִׁ֑ים  horsemen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ  Shobach 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁובַךְ  
Sense: general of king Hadarezer of the Syrians of Zoba in the time of David.
שַׂר־  the  commander 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
צְבָא֛וֹ  of  their  army 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
הִכָּ֖ה  struck 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
וַיָּ֥מָת  and  who  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.